Feed-water-level regulator



Oct. 16 1923. I

F. WOLF FEED WATER LEVEL REGULATOR Filed Dec. 6, 19 20 Patented Uct. l6, i923.

, srarss FEED WOLF, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

teases PATENT OFFICE.

EEED-WATER-LEVEL REGULATOR.

Application filed December 6, 1920.

- To all} whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FERDVVOLF, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of St. Louis and Stateof Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements of which and suspended from a weight chain or its equivalent, supported to travel over a valve wheel to open and close the valve as the water lowers and rises in the boiler to automatically maintain an approximately constant water level within the boiler.

the invention consists in the novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter more fully de scribed and finally pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like charactersof reference denote similar parts throughout the several views:

Fig. 1, is a side elevation of the regulator connected to a boiler, the valve being illustrated as being closed in the main water supply pipe.

Fig. 2, is a side elevation of the regulator in its empty and extreme uppermost position with valve wide open.

Fig. 3, is a side elevation of the regulator when full of water and the valve is in its closed position.

Referring to the drawings, the reference character 1 indicates a part of a steam or hot-water boiler, and 2 the usual water sight glass fixed to the boiler.

3 indicates a suitable metallic regulator tube adapted to be filled with water. The tube is closed at both ends and of such strength to stand the boiler pressure. The regulator tube 3 is connected at opposite ends with the boiler 1 by means of suitable I ed to the upper end of the regulator tube 3, With the above and other objects in view,..

Serial No. 428,808.

flexible tubes 4: and 5. The lower tube 4: permits the free flow of water into the boiler as p the water level in the boiler is lowered by 1 conversion into steam, orotherwise lowered by beingwithdrawn' therefrom to maintain a constant water level in the boiler, while the upper tube 5 permits the flow of steam from Ehc boiler in the regulator tube 3, as is maniest. 1 i 6 indicates the main Water feed pipehav! ing connection at one end with the boiler '1. The pipe 1 isprovided with a suitable con trol valve arranged above the regulator tube 3 and the valve stem 7 thereof is provided with a suitable wheel 8 for opening and closmg the valve. 9 indicates a suitable chain, or its equivalent, mounted to ride over the wheel 3, i

which in case of a chain being used, is provided with suitable teeth, as is manifest, to prevent slipping of-the chain." WVhere acable, or the like is used, teeth upon the periphery of the wheel 8 are unnecessary. The

chain 9, or its equivalent, is suitably connectby means ofa suitable connection, such as a cable 10, or its equivalent.

The chain 9, or its equivalent, is provided with a predetermined number of weights, 11, say for instance, fourteen of them weigh. ing one-half pound each and spaced one inch apart and with a single weight 12 of a weight equal to the combined weight of all the small weights 11. In this instance, which has been found satisfactory, the regulator tube 3 is of a length equal in inches to the number of pounds of weights 11 and 12, which in this instance would be fourteen inches long and of such a diameter that each inch of the tube in length would carry water equal to one pound in weight, thus should the Water level in the boiler lower itself suiiicient to consume one inch or one pound of water from the regulator tube, the weight would raise one inch in the direction of the arrow A, in Fig. 1, thus slightly opening the valve and permitting the regulator tube to be automatically filled with'water flowing from theboiler 1, which has been replen ished through the main feed pipe 6,-as is that the valve has been fully opened to re fill the boiler and the regulator tube. The proper level for the water in the tube 3 is about half full, as shown in Fig. 1, but it is evident that the valve may be so regulated that the valve will not be opened until the tube 3 is empty, as shown in Fig. 1, and that the valve is not fully closed until the tube 3 is completely filled with water, as shown in Fig. 3.

It is evident from the foregoing descrip tion and the accompanying illustrations, that I provide a comparatively inexpensive and practical device to automatically open and close the valve in the main water feed line to maintain the desired water level in a boiler.

The many advantages of the herein described invention will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art to which it appertains. I

I do not wish to be understood as having limited myself to the details of construction shown and described, but desire to have it understood that the invention I have shown in the drawings is merely illustrative, as it is manifest that various minor changes may be made in the exact construction and particular arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention, hence I reserve the right to make any such changes, ormodifications as may fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims when fairly construed.

What I claim is:

1. In a feed-water device for boilers, the combination, with the vertically movable feed-water tube, and the valve of the feed water-pipe, opened and closed by the move ment of the feed water tube, of a chain mounted to ride over the wheel of a valve stem, a connection between the chain and .mounted to ride over the wheel of a valve stem, a connection between the chain and the feed-water tube, a plurality of small weights connected to the chain in equal spaced, relation,a large weight. equal to the combined weight of said first mentioned weights, connected to said chain adjacent one end of the row of small weights.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name to the specification.

' FERD WOLF. 

